English and Scottish: status name or occupational name from Middle
English, Old French maresc(h)al ‘marshal’. The term is of
Germanic origin (compare Old High German marah ‘horse’, ‘mare’
+ scalc ‘servant’). Originally it denoted a man who looked
after horses, but by the heyday of medieval surname formation it
denoted on the one hand one of the most important servants in a great
household (in the royal household a high official of state, one with
military responsibilities), and on the other a humble shoeing smith or
farrier. It was also an occupational name for a medieval court officer
responsible for the custody of prisoners. An even wider range of
meanings is found in some other languages: compare for example Polish
Marszałek (see Marszalek). The surname is also borne
by Jews, presumably as an Americanized form of one or more
like-sounding Jewish surnames.

As the fourth chief justice of the U.S., John Marshall
(1755–1835) was the principal architect in consolidating and
defining the powers of the Supreme Court. He was a descendant of John
Marshall of Ireland, who settled in Culpeper Co., VA, sometime before
1655.

highlights

Vote Now for the Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards
Voting is open now through May 3 for the Children's and Teen Choice Book Awards — the only national book awards program where the winning author, illustrator, and books of the year are selected by young readers. Encourage your child to vote for his favorites today!

Find Today's Newest & Best Children's Books!
Looking for newly released books for your child? Try our new Book Finder tool to search for new books by age, type, and theme, and create reading lists for kids!

Top 10 Math & Science Apps for Your Whiz Kid
Looking for the best math and science apps for kids? Check out these cool apps for all ages, which will grow your child's love of the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Registered for Kindergarten — Now What?
Wondering what to do now that you've signed your child up for kindergarten? Try our award-winning Kindergarten Readiness app! This easy-to-use checklist comes with games and activities to help your child build essential skills for kindergarten. Download the Kindergarten Readiness app today!

Find out what is happening in each day of your pregnancy!

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